That’s why the Bed Doctor has outlined his top tips for preparing your house for having guests stay for the night.

First of all – you need to ensure that you have the space to sleep your guests.  If you don’t have a spare bedroom, or you do but it is filled to the ceiling with winter coats, boxes, old recipe books and that collection of Arnold Schwarzenegger videos that you aren’t quite ready to dispose of – then your living room space is a great place to start.

Now, although you have the space in your living room, you don’t think it is really appropriate to ask your Aunty and Uncle to sleep on the sofa with an old blanket that you’ve managed to dig out of your ‘spare room’.  A great solution to this problem is buying a foldaway bed which will provide great comfort for an overnight stay and then can be tucked away after the guests have left.

Bishops Beds have a fantastic Budget foldaway bed for this very occasion.

Budget Foldaway Bed

This budget metal fold up bed is simple but sturdy and is ideal for a guest bed.  The metal bed is compact enough to store away in a cupboard and comes with a full foam mattress. When opened, the bed is 186cm long, 69cm wide and 27cm high and when closed, the bed is 69cm wide, 10cm deep and 92cm high.

Next on your to do list should be ensuring you have enough blankets, duvets, sheets and pillows.  On some occasions, using a sleeping bag will be sufficient for your guests to sleep in on the guest bed, but some guests may need a little extra comfort for a great night sleep.

A good pillow can prevent your guests tossing and turning in discomfort all night.  To ensure maximum comfort for your guests, The Bed Doctor recommends the Memflake memory foam pillow by Concept.

Memflake Memory Foam pillow

This memory foam pillow from Concept has many benefits to ensure a great night sleep.  It responds to and supports the neck, relieves pressure and promotes good body circulation.

If you do have the space in a spare room, but do not want to commit to turning it into a full time spare bedroom, the Bed Doctor recommends Bishops Beds bestselling Guest bed – the Versailles Daybed.

Versailles Daybed with Underbed

The new Versailles Daybed from Julian Bowen comes with a handy underbed which is easily stored until needed. The Daybed is finished in a stone white and has a detailed surround. The Versailles Daybed looks stunning as a lounger or as a bed.

Now that you have the sleeping arrangements sorted, it’s time to add the finishing touches so that your guests feel comfortable and at ease in your home.

Alarm clocks and reading lamps are great extras to add a little something for your guests.  Putting yourself in their position often helps you decide on how much or how little effort you need to go to for their overnight stay.

Finally, lay out some clean, dry towels where your guests will be staying and why not leave out some reading material to help your guests completely relax and unwind, ensuring a comfortable time for everyone.

For maximum comfort, The Apollomatic Electric Bed from Apollo Beds is a 5 position electric bed frame. The electric bed has a hardwire remote which is easily located on the side of the frame. The headend and footend can be operated separately giving maximum support and comfort to suit the individual.The frame comes with a memory foam pocket sprung mattress adding to the comfort of the frame.

For those who like to be in control The Buckingham from Restus is a 3FT Adjustable Bed and electrically adjustable for ultimate control. This expert crafted divan set has a five action motor which controls sprung beech wood slats to provide a choice of positions for people up to a weight of approximately 120 kilos, luxury pocket sprung mattress included for maximum comfort, mahogany screw in legs and a deep base with castors or plastic glides.  The Restus, Buckingham, 3FT Adjustable Bed is a truly exceptional adjustable bed.

The Buckingham

Silent Night offer a versatile adjustable electric bed.  As well as offering added comfort and control, The Memory Foam 500 Adjustable bed features a layer of memory foam and a removable, washable cover. The adjustable bed also has hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant and is made for an adjustable bed.

Memory 500

The Restus, Rest ‘o’ Matic, 3FT Adjustable Bed is electrically adjustable for ultimate control. Ease away the aches and pains of the day with a gentle, soothing massage, or stimulate your muscles for passive exercise. This bed has a built-in adjustable electric massager. Additional features are:

• Five action motor which controls sprung beech wood slats to provide a choice of positions for people up to a weight of approximately 120 kilos.
• Luxury reflex foam mattress included for maximum comfort. The mattress houses the massage unit.
• Deep base with castors.

The Restus, Rest ‘o’ Matic, 3FT Adjustable Bed is a truly exceptional adjustable bed.

Rest 'o' Matic

These are just a few of the Adjustable Electric Beds that Bishops Beds offer, so take a look and see how we can help you choose your perfect bed.

Budget Mattress generally come with a flat panel which basically means that the stitching goes around the border. The fabric is a stitchbond which is 80%Polyester and 20% Viscose. These mattresses are ideal if you are on a budget. A great seller is the Oriel Mattress this is still classed as a budget but has a lot more filling inside making it more comfortable, the Oriel is deep quilted and finished in a stitchbond fabric. We also have some great low end mattresses on next day delivery if you are need of a mattress in a hurry the likes of the Belle Mattress from La Romantica is a popular choice again a deep quilted with a stitchbond fabric.

Belle Mattress from La Romantica

If you have slightly more money to spend then the Onyx Mattress is great value for money this is a traditional sprung, deep quilted mattress with a lot of fillings making the mattress more luxurious, finished in a quality damask fabric.  This is a really popular choice with our customers.

Onyx Mattress

A fantastic buy for all those people who love a firmer sleep is the Roslin Mattress from La Romantica Beds this is an orthopedic mattress made with a thicker spring so there is less movement in the mattress making it a firmer sleep. The Roslin mattress is 10’’ deep and is hand tufted making the mattress a firmer sleep finished in a quality damask.

The Monet Mattress is not to be missed, with individual pocket springs all wrapped in their own fabric, this is a fantastic buy. The Monet starts from £135 which is an amazing price for a pocket mattress. The Monet is hand tufted with a lovely soft knitted fabric. The support of the Monet is a soft to medium. The pockets offer superb support as the springs contour your body.

Bishops Beds have a great range of mattresses to suite all budgets why not browse our range online or pop into the shop to discuss your mattress choice further.

Deep Quilted, this mattress is pure luxury. The quilt pattern runs through deep levels of upholstery on the mattress, this helps to keep all the fillings in place and gives the mattress a more luxurious feel. The Onyx from Highgrove Beds is a lovely example of a deep quilted mattress.

Tufted, this is another luxury mattress where all the fillings in the mattress are secured with tufts these go through the top to the bottom of the mattress. One of our top sellers the Pashmina Mattress from Dura Beds is a great hand tufted mattress. The Pashmina is also finished with fabric containing cashmere making it super soft.

Pashmina Mattress

Pillow Top, has a deep layer of upholstery made from foam, memory foam, or fillings. This is attached to the mattress creating an additional layer hence the name Pillow Top. We have a great range of pillow top mattresses including the New Signature Pillow Top Mattress. The New Signature mattress is the ultimate for comfort and support. Bedmaster has designed this mattress to encourage a perfect nights sleep.

Signature Pillow Top Mattress

Non Turn, A non turn mattress means exactly that, it is manufactured for added convenience. It also contains some sort of filling such as memory foam or latex so it doesn’t need to be turned over, we do however recommend that the mattress is turned 180 degrees from end to end. The Pocket 2000 from Bedmasters is a great non turn mattress. The mattress offers superb support and comfort and is made with quality fillings to ensure you have the best nights sleep.

Micro Quilted, Is a popular method used of securing all the fillings the stitching is done from end to end resulting in a smoother sleeping surface. We highly recommend the Imagine Mattress from Joseph, this micro quilted mattress comes with a winning combination of a pocket sprung system with a generous layer of supportive memory foam.

Dual Purpose, A dual sleeping surface offers two different finishes, the most popular is the dual season with one side memory foam to keep you warm in the winter and on the other a polyester to keep you cooler. You can also get a dual sided memory foam for those people who like to turn their mattresses. We recommend the Apollo Calypso pocket sprung mattress; this is a hand tufted luxurious mattress is also great for allergy suffers as it is hypo-allergenic.

Calypso Mattress

Well hopefully we have cleared up a few of the confusing terms you might come across find when shopping for a new mattress. If you have any further questions on mattresses please don’t hesitate to get in touch and our bed specialists will be able to help you further. To get in touch just ring 0191 586 0010 or email retail@bishopsbeds.co.uk

Coco Chanel once said “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury” and at Bishops Beds we have a wide range of mattresses that look, and more importantly, feel, divine. Why not take a peek at The Pashmina from Dura Beds, a hand-tufted mattress covered in a cashmere mix fabric to give it a sumptuous feel, with 1000 individually pocketed springs to ensure your comfort, or The Cashmere mattress by Restus with a 1200 pocket count and a gorgeous cashmere stretch knit fabric finish. Or take a look at the soothing Allure 2600 by Rest Assured – the gorgeous quilted fabric is enriched with aloe vera, and there is a layer of memory foam for optimum support.

Pashmina Mattress from Dura Beds

These are just a few of the many luxury mattresses we offer at Bishops Beds – why not treat your tired side, and make your journey to the land of nod one of pure indulgence.

Luckily you can please both child and parent with Silentnight My First Football Bed, making the transition from cot to bed fun and exciting.

For the parents the football bed features the unique miracoil spring system which supports supple young backs as they grow and provides children with the support they need to sleep soundly. It comes with a soft, knitted cover with aloe vera to promote a healthy, restful night’s sleep. Aloa vera has therapeutic and soothing properties. It is anti-bacterial and anti dust mites ensuring you that your child has a healthy and comfortable night’s sleep.

You child’s needs are also met with a Football mad bed including football boot feet and a football pitch head board. This fun theme will reduce the night time bed battle and allow your child to dream of football stardom.

For slightly older boys the Sport Mattress from Sweet Dreams is a great alternative. The Sport Mattress is a deep quilted stitchbond mattress with a fantastic football fabric which works wounders for getting the kids to bed. The low priced mattress is ideal for juniors.

Or why not go for the complete soccer frame, The Soccer bed frame from Serene is great for a big football fan with its eye catching football themed design. The soccer bed comes with a sprung slatted base giving a better support whilst sleeping. Great for any football fan. We recommend a Kiddies Coloured Mattress or to keep the football theme going the sport mattress as seen above.

Alternatively this low priced boy’s bed from Sweet Dreams comes in a blue football stitch bond cover. The Sport Divan Bed is available in a single with a slide store drawer as a storage option. This bed is perfect for a young child.

In tales of old, princesses often went through many trials before they were allowed their happily ever after – being cursed by old ladies, having to disguise themselves as various wild beasts, being ordered not to look in various incredibly mysterious locked rooms (that last one sounds easy, but trust me, it isn’t!) and all of this far away from home, usually in a dark and rather menacing forest. What would those princesses have given to sleep on a luxurious and soft toadstool bed? Rather a lot, I imagine. My First Toadstool Bed by Silent Night is not only ultra comfortable but is infused with soothing aloe vera, as well as being anti-bacterial and anti-dust mite to ensure a good nights sleep for the tiniest princess.

My First Toadstool Bed by Silent Night

Often, when these princesses returned home, they had evil stepmothers and various vegetables making peaceful slumber impossible. But this doesn’t have to be the case for your growing future queen. Take a look at our elegant metal bed frames such as Yasmin and Isabelle by Serene, which feature gorgeous girly heart designs – all with sprung slatted bases for extra comfort and support.

Yasmin Metal Bed

And, if you’re almost 100% sure than your princess is half-ogre at this point, we have the Princess by Apollo Beds, a double bed which gives her plenty of room to move as she sleeps – for hours, and hours, and … well, you know. And if in between sleeping she’d like to do some homework, we have the Study Bunk by Apollo beds; it includes a desk and an extra futon, available in lilac and blue, for when other royal ladies stay over.

Metal Study Bunk by Apollo

At Bishops Beds, we have a wonderful range, so take a peek – we’re sure they’ll be princess-approved.

With winter showing no sign of stopping, we’ve become a nation of homebodies, clinging to the warmth of our mattresses with unabated gusto, and for allergy sufferers, this means that they often find themselves feeling worse than ever. When we stay home and crank up the central heating, what we’re really doing is throwing open our home to millions of dust mites, critters who most people would agree make unappealing house guests.

Even for those without existing conditions such as asthma or eczema, dust mites and bed bugs can make getting a good night’s sleep impossible, or at the very least uncomfortable, blocking the sinuses and making breathing more laboured. You want your bed to be a relaxing, luxurious haven from the stresses of the world, and I’m sure you agree that those stresses include allergies. So what can you do? Well, luckily, there are things that prove effective for sufferers and non-sufferers alike.

A Clean Bedroom

This may seem obvious, and you may be rather outraged at the insinuation, but a lot of us are not as clean as we think. According to a poll in the Daily Mail, half a million Britons only wash their bed linen three times a year!

“Washing your bedding takes time and effort, but to reduce levels of unwanted organisms and mites, you need to wash your bed linen at least once a fortnight-preferably once a week.”

Your Bed: A Pet-Free Zone

As a nation of animal lovers, we are guilty of letting our pets walk all over us, and probably all over our beds too. As endearing as your pets are, your allergies will thank you if you make your bed a no-go area. The hair and skin and saliva your pets leave behind (not so endearing now, are they?) are a yummy goldmine for dust mites.

Hypo Allergenic Mattresses to the Rescue!

Dorchester Mattress by Highgrove

Once you’re finished cleaning, and banished your pet to his own bed, it might be worth investing in a hypo allergenic mattress. These are made with materials that are much less likely to cause a reaction (animal products such as down and hair are usually avoided) and the surfaces are tightly knitted or treated to make it impossible for mites to burrow inside and multiply. At Bishops Beds we have a wide range of hypo allergenic mattresses that won’t break the bank, such as the Cupid, the Tranquility and the Dorchester, and many of our hypo allergenic mattresses also incorporate memory foam so you can be sure of their comfort – take a look at the Dual Memory and the Midas by Apollo. These are just a few of the hypo allergenic mattresses Bishops Beds offer, so look around, and make your bed a sneeze-free place to be!

Cupid Mattress by Apollo Beds

Here is some bed buying advice to start you off.

How big should your bed be?

As big as possible! The Sleep Council recommends that you choose a bed 4-6 inches longer than the tallest person who will sleep in it: anyone over 6 feet tall should think about getting a larger-than-average size. If two of you will be sharing the bed, make sure you have enough room to move about without disturbing each other.

Height is another important factor – a low bed might be more to your taste, but not much good if you need to make the most of storage space underneath.

What kind of bed base do you need?

Divan beds are probably the best option for storage, and have often been designed to work with a particular mattress. Bedsteads are usually made from metal or wood, and vary widely in design. If you buy a separate bedstead, make sure your mattress will fit!

Many bases use wooden slats, which can be rigid or sprung. Sprung slats have more give, and are the best option both for comfort and for mattress care.  Broken slats are easily replaced – speak to Bishops Beds about our replacement bed slats.

Bamboo Pocket Mattress

What about the mattress?

There are several different types of mattress, and your ideal option will depend on what best suits your body. Try out different options, and make sure that your mattress will work with your new bed. Read our guide to mattresses to find out more.

How much should you spend on a new bed?

Of course, everyone has different budgets. However, your new bed should give you several years of comfortable sleep, so it’s a worthwhile investment.

Spending a little more could mean a longer-lasting bed and fewer restless nights. Bishops Beds offers a whole range of budget beds that don’t compromise on value.

Of course, this doesn’t even begin to address issues of style and design – your bed will usually be the centrepiece of your bedroom, so make sure it suits your décor! Browse the Bed Doctor archive for more bed advice, and get in touch with your questions.

Memory foam was developed in the Sixties to make NASA’s airplane seats more comfortable and protective because of its shock-absorbing properties. Since then, those properties have been adapted to all kinds of purposes – including memory foam mattresses.

There are practical reasons for choosing a memory foam mattress – it doesn’t need turning, for one thing (though you might want to switch ends from time to time to make sure it wears evenly).

There’s a further benefit for allergy sufferers, since memory foam mattresses are antimicrobial. They don’t retain moisture like other mattresses and can help keep dust-mites at bay.

But the spinal support offered by memory foam mattresses is perhaps one of their biggest advantages. Given the huge number of regenerative processes that go on when you sleep, a supportive bed is a basic requirement. According to expert Michael Copland Griffiths, sleep allows the body’s activity to slow down, muscles to relax, and the spine to recover from the strains of the day.

But if you’re not sleeping properly, these restorative processes are interrupted – and could result in damage. “If tissues that should be resting are held under strain during the night they will function less effectively the next day,” warns Griffiths in an article for the organisation Back Care.

“Where strain is due to faulty sleeping posture the detrimental effects can be cumulative, so the importance of good bedding in minimising postural night strains should not be ignored.”

Memory foam mattresses absorb rather than resist your body’s weight, so pressure on the spine is reduced. Because they respond to your body’s heat, they will mould to your natural contours and help keep your spine straight.

There are also lots of mattresses that combine the advantages of a pocket sprung mattress with a thick memory foam topper, and if you need a cheap memory foam mattress there are some great value options available.

Of course, different people need different qualities in a mattress, and it’s important to do your research. But if you want to give your spine the support it needs, a memory foam mattress should definitely be in your shortlist.

Memory Foam Tranquility Mattress